System and Method for Mounting Undercabinet Ventilation Hood

ABSTRACT

A ventilation hood is mounted to an underside of a cabinet, including a bottom panel and a lower support frame positioned above a cooking appliance, by first and second brackets secured below the cabinet at spaced positions aligned with outermost edge portions of the lower support frame and at least one fastener assembly secured to a front portion of the ventilation hood. Multiple embodiments are disclosed for the at least one fastener assembly, including tabs bent from a housing of the ventilation hood, feet threadably attached to the hood, mounting blocks including snap connectors, threaded fasteners, and pinned bolts.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/868,213, filed on Jan. 11, 2018 and titled “System and Method forMounting Undercabinet Ventilation Hood” which is a divisional of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/904,258, filed on May 29, 2013 and titled“System and Method for Mounting Undercabinet Ventilation Hood”, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,897,330. The entire contents of these applications areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to the art of cooking and, moreparticularly, to a system and method for mounting a ventilation hoodunder cabinetry positioned above a cooking appliance.

Description of the Related Art

In the art of cooking, numerous types of cooking appliances are known,including both slide-in and drop-in ranges. Basically, both types ofranges are designed to be situated in a space or cut-out provided alonga length of a kitchen countertop. In either case, the range includes atleast one oven cavity supported below a cooktop. Of course, it is alsoknown to separately mount cooktops, without lower oven cavities, incountertops. In any case, when the cooktop is utilized for cookingoperations, a certain degree of smoke, grease or the like can becreated. To counter the airborne nature of these byproducts, it is knownto mount a ventilation unit above the range. Basically, such knownventilation units include an exhaust fan which functions to draw thesmoke and other byproducts away from the cooktop. The byproducts aretypically either directed to a vent external of the cooking area orfiltered such that the cleansed air is simply expelled back into thecooking area. Such known ventilation units can take the form of aventilation hood or can be incorporated into an overhead microwave ovenmounted above the range. In many situations, the ventilation unit willalso incorporate a light to aid in illuminating the cooktop.

In mounting a ventilation unit incorporated into a microwave oven to thebottom of a cabinet which is centered above and spans the appliance, itis commonplace to bolt the ventilation unit to a bottom cabinet panel.More specifically, a housing of the microwave oven is provided withspaced front and rear mounting holes and a template can be providedwhich enables an installer to mark drilling locations in the bottompanel of the cabinet, with the intent that the drilled holes will bealigned with pre-formed mounting holes in the unit. Assuming the properalignment exists, the microwave oven can be held in a position beneaththe upper cabinet and bolts inserted through each of the aligned holesets to secure the microwave oven in place. In the case of a ventilationhood, the housing of the hood is typically used as a template fordetermining appropriate fastener locations and then filler strips aremeasured, cut and installed beneath the cabinet to complete lowerframing needed to mount the ventilation hood.

Certain problems are considered to exist in each of these overallmounting arrangements. First of all, at least in the case ventilationunits incorporated in microwave ovens, it is common for the template totake the form of a folded paper template which must be unfolded, cut tofit the underside of the upper cabinet and taped or otherwise retainedin position to establish the drilling locations. Given that creases andimproper cuts can contribute to misalignment issues, it is not uncommonfor product manufacturers to recommend that significantly larger holesbe drilled than needed to receive the bolts, and washers are provided toaccommodate the enlarged holes. In this manner, a degree of tolerance isestablished to better assure potential alignment of each bolt with adesignated hole in the ventilation unit. In the case of ventilationhoods, the measuring, cutting and mounting of filler strips can be quitetedious and time consuming, particularly if a professional installer isnot employed. In both types of mounting arrangements, a secondsignificant problem is that, after the holes are drilled and it is timeto actually secure the ventilation unit, two people are required, onefor holding the ventilation unit in place and the other for insertingand tightening at least a couple of the bolts. Certainly, given theconfined space and the need to hold the unit around eyelevel for sometime, this operation is less than desirable.

Although two people may be necessary for mounting a microwave, it isdesired in accordance with the present invention to provide a methodwhich enables a single user to readily install a ventilation hood over acooking appliance through the use of a simplified and efficientinstallation system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a system and method for mounting aventilation hood above a cooking appliance and under a cabinet, such asin a kitchen. The cabinet incorporates standard structure, including alower support frame having a downwardly extending rectangular flangeextending beyond a bottom panel or floor of the cabinet and terminatingat lateral peripheral edges. In accordance with a first aspect, thesystem includes left and right support brackets mounted to an upstandingwall, against which the cabinet is mounted, at spaced lateral positionsaligned with the lateral peripheral edges. Each support bracket includesan upstanding projection or tab which is received in a slot provided inthe back of the ventilation hood such that a rear portion of the rangehood can be easily supported by a single person while the ventilationhood is being connected to the cabinet.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, several ways areproposed for separately securing a front portion of the ventilation hoodto the cabinet, while accommodating a filler space between the bottompanel of the cabinet and the bottom of the downwardly extending flange.In a first embodiment, flexible tabs are punched out of the top of ahousing of the ventilation hood, partially creating enlarged openings inthe top of the hood. The flexible tabs are aligned with the downwardlyextending flanges of the cabinet and screws are placed upwardly at anangle of approximately 45° through the enlarged openings in the rangehood and pre-formed holes in the flexible tabs to fasten the flexibletabs to the flanges. In a second embodiment, feet members are positionedbetween the bottom panel of the cabinet and the ventilation hood. Duringinstallation the feet may be temporarily installed in mounting holes inthe ventilation hood and then the hood placed onto the brackets andmoved into position under the cabinet. The feet can be selectivelyextended or retracted relative to the range hood based on the height ofthe cabinet flange, i.e., the dimension of the filler space between thebottom panel of the cabinet and the lowermost edge of the cabinetsupport frame. A drill is then used to drill holes through the cabinetfloor using the feet as locator or pilot guides. The ventilation hood istemporarily removed from the cabinet and the feet are removed from thehood. Next, one after another, the feet are placed against the bottompanel of the cabinet and screws are installed through the bottom paneland threaded into the feet. Once again, the ventilation hood is placedon the brackets and tilted into a final position under the cabinet,allowing the feet to enter the mounting holes. Either a tool or aninstaller's fingers can be used to then rotate the feet until the hoodis tight against the cabinet.

In another embodiment, specifically configured mounting blocks areprovided for mounting to the lower support frame of the cabinet atfrontal corner portions. The mounting blocks are dimensioned such that,once mounted against the lower support frame in the filler space,connectors extend downwardly from the mounting blocks. When theventilation hood is supported on the rear brackets and tilted upwardly,mounting holes in the ventilation hood become aligned with theconnectors. In accordance with one arrangement, the connectorssnap-connect with the ventilation hood for a secure fit.

Various other embodiments are disclosed which employ the supportbrackets but which are based on drilling holes in the bottom panel ofthe cabinet. In one embodiment, first and second fastener elementsextend from a common plate which is preconfigured to establish requisitehole locations needed in the floor of the cabinet. After forming theholes, such as through a drilling operation, each of the first andsecond mechanical fasteners is extended through both the bottom paneland the ventilation hood, while the plate is positioned against thebottom panel. In the case of threaded fastener elements, nuts aresecured to fix the ventilation hood in place. Instead of interconnectedthreaded fasteners, multiple zip strips can be used to mount theventilation hood. In accordance with this embodiment, duringinstallation an elongated body portion of each zip strip is fed into arespective hole formed in the bottom panel and then retained in place bya retainer element. The ventilation hood is then lifted in place whilethe zip strips hang down through respective holes in the hood andrespective zip washers or fasteners are attached to the zip strips. Theventilation hood is raised in abutment with the underside of the cabinetand the zip fasteners are ratcheted until the hood is tightly mounted tothe bottom of the cabinet. The remaining part of the zip strips are thencut off In still further embodiments, the holes formed in the bottompanel of the cabinet receive bolts having transverse holes for receivingpins, or toggle bolts are employed. In each case, the need for atemplate is avoided and the rear brackets function to support theventilation hood so that a single person can hold the ventilation hoodas needed during the attachment of the frontal portion of the hood tothe cabinet.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomereadily apparent from the following detailed description of preferredembodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawingswherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in theseveral views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a ventilation hood mounted inaccordance with the invention to cabinetry positioned above a range in akitchen environment;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of a first stage in the mounting ofthe ventilation hood of FIG. 1 in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first mounting embodiment;

FIG. 4A is an exploded view illustrating an initial stage associatedwith a second mounting embodiment;

FIG. 4B shows a subsequent stage of the mounting embodiment of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C illustrates another stage for the second mounting embodiment;

FIG. 4D depicts a still further stage of this embodiment;

FIG. 4E illustrates s a final stage of this embodiment;

FIG. 5 presents an exploded view for a third embodiment;

FIG. 6 sets forth a partial exploded view of a fourth mountingembodiment;

FIG. 7A sets forth a partial exploded view of a fifth mountingembodiment;

FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of a connector arrangement for theembodiment of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 sets forth a partial exploded view of a sixth mountingembodiment; and

FIG. 9 sets forth a partial exploded view of a seventh mountingembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With initial reference to FIG. 1, a cooking appliance 2 is shownpositioned in a cut-out or opening 5 provided in a countertop 8 andbetween adjacent lower cabinetry 12 and 13. Countertop 8 has an uppersurface 17 extending to a rear upstanding wall 20. Above countertop 8are shown wall cabinets 22 and 23 mounted on either side of cookingappliance 2, as well as a central cabinet 25 arranged above a portion ofcooking appliance 2 and extending between upstanding rear and side walls21 and 22 respectively.

Within the scope of the invention, cooking appliance 2 can take onvarious forms, including all fuel type ranges and built-in cooktops.However, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated, cooking appliance 2 isillustrated as a range including a cabinet or shell 30 which supports anoven cavity 33 located behind a door 35 having a handle 38 and a window40. In a manner known in the art, door 35 can be pivoted to access ovencavity 33. Also, as shown, cooking appliance 2 includes a lower drawer44 for use in storing pans and the like. In addition, cooking appliance2 includes an upper control panel 51 having a central oven controlsection 54. Furthermore, control panel 51 is shown provided with aplurality of control knobs, one of which is indicated at 57, forregulating operation of upper cooktop heating elements or burners, suchas that indicated at 61.

Particularly with the inclusion of the heating elements or burners 61,operation of cooking appliance 2 can produce smoke, grease or otherairborne byproducts. To counter the potential detrimental effects ofthese cooking byproducts, it is desired to mount a ventilation hood 70above cooking appliance 2, specifically to the underside of centralcabinet 25 and between side wall cabinets 22 and 23, to draw in andeither exhaust or filter and re-direct the associated flow of air.Certainly, ventilation hoods employed for this purpose is known in theart, but the present invention is particularly directed to a system andmethod for mounting ventilation hood 70, specifically various mountingarrangements which enable a single installer to readily and efficientlysecure ventilation hood 70 to central cabinet 25.

In general, the operation of ventilation hood 70 is also known in theart. Therefore, apart from particular details set forth hereinafter, itshould be recognized that the actual construction of ventilation hood 70can vary from that depicted. Therefore, although ventilation hood 70 isshown to include a housing 72 and control knobs 74 and 75 for a fan andlight (not shown) respectively, the invention is equally applicable to awide range of other configurations. In connection with the mounting ofventilation hood 70, it should also be recognized that central cabinet25 is also of known construction. That is, although the exact materialsand construction can vary, central cabinet 25, as shown in FIG. 2, willalmost invariably include a bottom panel or floor 79 and a lower supportframe 82, shown to include a rear flange piece 85 and a side flangepiece 86 which defines an outermost side edge portion 89 of centralcabinet 25. Of course, corresponding structure exists on the opposingside (not shown in this figure) of cabinet 25.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, support brackets areinitially mounted at spaced locations beneath central cabinet 25. Moreparticularly, for the left side of cabinet 25 as shown in FIG. 2, asupport bracket 94 is shown to include a C-shaped base 95 having anupper portion 96, a lower portion 97 and a connecting portion 98. In theembodiment shown, support bracket 94 is made of sheet metal which isstamped to create a thin projection or tab 100. Base 95 is shownprovided with an upper hole 102 and a lower hole 104. In connection withthis invention, it is recognized that the outer lateral dimension oflower support frame 82 is standard based on the distance between wallcabinets 22 and 23. That is, the thicknesses of flange pieces 85 and 86are recognized to vary, but the outermost dimension for lower supportframe 82 can be readily determined based on the known spacing in whichventilation hood 70 is to be mounted.

With this information in hand, the first step in connection with themounting method for ventilation hood 70 is to mount the support brackets94 at predetermined positions based only on the construction of lowersupport frame 82. More specifically, in the embodiment shown, a firstmechanical fastener 107 is positioned at upper hole 102 to mount supportbracket 94 to rear wall 20 upon aligning a side edge 110 of bracket 94with outermost edge portion 89 of side flange piece 86 and with upperedge 111 of bracket 94 extending directly along rear flange piece 85.Again, a similar mounting is done on the other lower side of cabinet 25.

As shown in this figure, ventilation hood 70 has a rear portion 120established by a rear panel 122 which is formed with a slot 124 and ahole 125. Actually, although hole 125 is shown spaced below andgenerally aligned with slot 124, slot 124 could also be furtherelongated (shown in dotted) for a corresponding purpose as will becomefully evident below. As illustrated, rear panel 122 is attached to aside panel 127 of the housing 72 of ventilation hood 70. Of particularnote is the fact that rear panel 122 actually has correspondingstructure at an opposing end portion (not shown in this figure) of rearpanel 122 and the lateral spacing between the slots 124 is preset basedon the known mounting positions for support brackets 94. Morespecifically, each slot 124 is positioned such that rear portion 120 canbe readily supported by the mounted brackets 94 with each projection 100extending through a respective slot 124. Therefore, at this earlymounting stage, after the two spaced support brackets 94 are secured,ventilation hood 70 can be basically hung on support brackets 94 andeasily supported by a single installer. The next step then concerns themanner in which a front portion of ventilation hood 70 is mounted.However, before detailing various embodiments to carry out this aspectof the invention with reference to the remaining figures, it should berealized that FIG. 2 illustrates the inclusion of a second mechanicalfastener 130 for each support bracket 94. Overall, second mechanicalfastener 130 is designed to be received in lower hole 104 to furthersecure a respective support bracket 94. However, at this time, it shouldbe recognized that second mechanical fastener 130 can be selectivelyreceived directly in lower hole 104 or first through opening 125 (or afurther elongated slot 124) in rear panel 122. In the former scenario,second mechanical fastener 130 is secured prior to supportingventilation hood 70 on brackets 94 and, in the latter case, secondmechanical fastener 130 is preferably secured after mounting the frontportion of ventilation hood 70 as will now be described in detail.

FIG. 3 presents a first embodiment wherein the representativeventilation hood 70 is shown to include a top panel 153 which leads to asloping section 155 and a front panel 157 to which control knobs 74 and75 are mounted. In this exemplary arrangement, top panel 153, slopingsection 155 and front panel 157 are created by bending and shaping apiece of sheet metal. In any case, out of top panel 153 is createdflexible tabs 162 and 163. More specifically, top panel 153 is formedwith enlarged openings 166 and 167 which are partially created by theformation of tabs 162 and 163 that have been bent so as to stand uprightrelative to top panel 153. Each tab 162, 163 is provided with a throughhole 170 which is adapted to receive a mechanical fastener 173. Inparticular, each tab 162, 163 is bent so as to be positioned against aportion of lower support frame 82 of cabinet 25, such as side flangepiece 86 as shown in this figure, and then mechanical fastener 173, suchas a wood screw, can be arranged at an angle, such as 45°, so as toextend through hole 170 and fastened into side flange piece 86. That is,with the rear portion of ventilation hood 70 supported by brackets 94,the front portion of ventilation hood 70 can be tilted upward by theinstaller such that top panel 153 abuts the underside of cabinet 25, atwhich point each mechanical fastener 173 can be positioned through arespective enlarged opening 166, 167 to fixedly mount a correspondingtab 162, 163. To complete the mounting process, second mechanicalfastener 130 (FIG. 2) can be mounted through aligned holes 125 and 104(see FIG. 2). On the other hand, additional rear flexible tabs, such asthat indicated at 175, could also be employed.

FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate another mounting arrangement for the frontportion of ventilation hood 70. In accordance with this embodiment, afrontal portion of top panel 153 of ventilation hood 70 is pre-formedwith lateral spaced through holes 177. As best shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B,each hole 177 is defined by a large opening 179 leading to an extensionopening 180 about which top panel 153 includes a raised section 182adjacent a lowered section 183. This construction readily enables athreaded body portion 187 of a foot member 189 to be threadably attachedto top panel 153. In the embodiment shown, each foot member 189 alsoincludes a head 191 and a lower portion 193.

Extending through each of lower portion 193, threaded body portion 187and head 191 is a bore 196 (particularly see FIGS. 4C-4E). With thisarrangement, feet members 189 can be initially, partially threaded ontotop panel 153 at the large openings 179. Then, upon mounting the rearportion of ventilation hood 70 on support brackets 94 and tilting of thefront portion until ventilation hood 70 is positioned against theunderside of cabinet 25, a drill 201 (see FIG. 4C) having a bit 204 canbe used to form holes 208 and 209 in bottom panel 79 of cabinet 25. Thatis, with ventilation hood 70 in a desired mounting position, bit 204 isdirected through bore 196, which acts as a guide for the drillingoperation, in order to establish holes 208 and 209.

At this point, two main assembly avenues can be followed. In accordancewith one avenue, ventilation hood 70 can be taken off of supportbrackets 94 to enable the installer to secure each foot member 189 tobottom panel 79 with a mechanical fastener 215. As perhaps bestrepresented in FIG. 4D, mechanical fastener 215, shown to include a head217, a washer 218 and a shank 219, is positioned in hole 208 andthreaded into foot member 189. This operation is performed for each footmember 189. In each case, both head 217 of mechanical fastener 215 andhead 191 of foot member 189 are shaped to receive tools, such as awrench, to enable feet members 189 to be drawn up to the underside ofbottom panel 79 while enabling fastener 215 and a respective foot member189 to still freely rotate in unison relative to cabinet 25. Thereafter,ventilation hood 70 is again supported on brackets 94 and tilted suchthat lower portions 193 of feet members 189 will register at openings179. At this point, as best represented in FIG. 4E, a polygonal shapedtool 222 can be inserted into bore 196 to thread body portion 187 ofeach foot member 187 into a respective opening 179, thereby drawing toppanel 153 firmly against cabinet 25.

In the alternative, feet members 189 can be initially threaded to toppanel 153 to an extent which enables top panel 153 of ventilation hood70 to abut the underside of cabinet 25 and then, after supportingventilation hood 70 on brackets 94 and tilting the front end againstcabinet 25, mechanical fastener 215 can be threaded into bore 196 whiletool 222, or an installer's fingers, is used to prevent each foot member189 from rotating. In either scenario, it should be recognized that thebores 196 not only establish a convenience and accurate guide fordrilling of holes 208 and 209, but also enable mechanical fasteners 215to be easily threaded therein. Most preferably, feet members 189 areformed of molded plastic. In addition, feet members 189 advantageouslyoccupy the filler space between bottom panel 79 and top panel 153 toestablish a very solid mounting arrangement which can still be readilyperformed by a single installer without the use of any paper templateand filler strip measuring or cutting. At this point, it should be notedthat tool 222 can take various forms in correspondence with the shape ofbore 196. For instance, conventional hex keys could be utilized. Also,an outer surface of lower portion 193 could actually be configured toreceive a tool instead of shaping bore 196.

As indicated above, the disclosed mounting system takes advantage of thefact that the lateral distance spanning the outermost edge portions 89of the lower support frame 82 is standard for a given width cabinet 25such that, with a corresponding ventilation hood 70, slots 124 can bepre-formed in rear panel 122 for accurate alignment with projections100. In a related fashion, FIG. 5 sets forth an embodiment wherein thefront portion of ventilation hood 70 is also supported based on securingmounting blocks 230 and 231 at predetermined frontal corner locationswithout the need for measurements or templates. More specifically, inthe embodiment shown, each mounting block 230, 231 is designed to bemounted in abutment with both a respective side flange piece 86 and afront flange piece 233 of lower support frame 82 as will be describedmore fully below.

As depicted, each mounting block 230, 231 includes an upper plate 234, aback plate 237 and side plates 240 and 241. In one embodiment, mountingblocks 230 and 231 are formed of metal, but could also be formed ofother materials, including plastic. In back plate 237, holes 244 and 245are formed. In addition, projecting downward from and fixedly secured,such through a threaded connection, a welded connection or the like, toupper plate 234 is a connector 247 which is shown to include a shaft 249and a conical tip 250. Each mounting block 230, 231 is configured to bemounted along a respective side flange piece 86, through mechanicalfasteners one of which is shown at 255, while abutting front flangepiece 233. The configuration of mounting block 230, 231 is predeterminedsuch that shaft 249 will align with a respective through hole 260, 261which is pre-formed in top panel 153 of ventilation hood 70. Inaccordance with this embodiment, once both support brackets 94 andmounting blocks 230 and 231 are secured in place, the rear portion ofventilation hood 70 can be easily supported on brackets 94 and then thefront portion can be tilted upward toward the lower support frame 82such that conical tips 250, which are preferably formed from anelastomeric material, extend into holes 260 and 261 such that connectors247 are snap-connected to ventilation hood 70. Therefore, at least insituations where the interior lateral dimensions of lower support frame82 are known, the positioning of holes 260 and 261 and the constructionof mounting blocks 230 and 231 can be predetermined to enable mountingof ventilation hood 70 in a quick and easy fashion by a singleinstaller.

Related to the embodiment of FIGS. 4A-4E, FIGS. 6-9 set forth other waysin which ventilation hood 70 can be secured directly from bottom panel79 of cabinet 25. In each of these embodiments, it should be recognizedthat top panel 153 of ventilation hood 70 is pre-formed at spacedfrontal locations with holes 260 and 261 in a manner corresponding tothat referenced above in relation to the embodiment of FIG. 5. In anycase, in connection with each of these additional embodiments, holes 265and 266 must be established in bottom panel 79 of cabinet 25 inalignment with through holes 260 and 261 and then some fastenerstructure must extend through the aligned holes to complete assembly.

In the embodiment represented in FIG. 6, first and second mechanicalfasteners 270 and 271 are provided, taking the form of threaded boltswhich are interconnected by a plate 274. At this point, it should berealized that, given the existence of holes 260 and 261, ventilationhood 70 can be initially supported on brackets 94 and against theunderside of cabinet 25 to enable holes 260 and 261 to act as guides forthe formation (e.g., drilling) of holes 265 and 266 in bottom panel 79.However, plate 274 can also be specifically configured based on theknown locations of holes 260 and 261 such that, upon placement eitherwithin or beneath cabinet 25 and providing mechanical fasteners 270 and271 with pointed tips (not separately labeled), the pointed tips ofmechanical fasteners 270 and 271 can be used to accurately marklocations for drilling holes 265 and 266. In any case, after holes 265and 266 are formed, mechanical fasteners 270 and 271 can be insertedinto holes 265 and 266 respectively, with plate 274 being positionedagainst bottom panel 79 within cabinet 25. Thereafter, ventilation hood70 is supported upon brackets 94 and tilted so that mechanical fasteners270 and 271 also extend through holes 260 and 261, whereupon nuts 276and 277 are threaded to fasteners 270 and 271 to complete the mounting.

A modified embodiment which is not depicted in the drawings basicallyrepresents a configuration based on the embodiments of both FIGS. 4A-4Eand FIG. 6 by employing mechanical fasteners which extend through holes265 and 266 and then are threaded into holes, analogous to holes 179,provided in top panel 153 of ventilation hood 70. That is, instead ofextending freely through holes 260 and 261 as in the embodiment of FIG.6, the mechanical fasteners are threaded to the ventilation hood 70,much like as in the embodiment of FIGS. 4A-4E. In addition, much likethe FIG. 6 embodiment, nuts can be employed, with the nuts assuring asecure and long-lasting attachment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B set forth an embodiment wherein, instead of usingmechanical fasteners 270 and 271 in the form of threaded bolts, zipstrips 280 are utilized to secure the front portion of ventilation hood70 to cabinet 25. As shown in these figures, each zip strip 280 includesa head portion 283 and an elongated body portion 286. This overallassembly is also depicted to include an optional retainer element 291,provided with an aperture 292, and a fastener element 294. In accordancewith this embodiment, each zip strip 280 is arranged such that elongatedbody portion 286 is initially inserted through a respective hole 265,266 and then snugly into aperture 292 of retainer element 291. Whilepulling on elongated body portion 286 to retain head portion 283 againstbottom panel 79, optional retainer element 291 can be pushed up so as toabut bottom panel 79 beneath cabinet 25. In this fashion, each zip strip280 will be retained in a desired position with the elongated bodyportion 286 of each zip strip 280 dangling below cabinet 25. At thispoint, it should be noted that the optional retainer element 291 cantake various forms, such as a plastic element which ratchets along bodyportion 286, a foam or other material forming block which could have athickness which spans the filler space established by lower supportframe 82, a clip, a clasp or another similar type of retainer element.In any case, once zip strips 280 are mounted, ventilation hood 70 can besupported on brackets 94 and tilted to enable elongated body portions286 to project through holes 260 and 261. Thereafter, fastener elements294 are placed on each elongated body portion 286 and, while placing theelongated body portion 286 in tension by pulling thereon, ratchetedupward until abutting top panel 153 while top panel 153 engages cabinet25. Finally, to complete the assembly, the excess of each elongated bodyportion 286 can be snipped or otherwise removed as indicated in FIG. 7Bat 297.

Again, as indicated above, once aligned holes 260 and 265, as well asaligned holes 261 and 266, are established, various different types offastener assemblies can be utilized in connection with securing thefront portion of ventilation hood 70. Two additional potentialarrangements of this type are represented in the embodiments of FIGS. 8and 9. In accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 8, bolts 306 havingheads 307 and shafts 308 with a plurality of axial spaced and transverseholes 310 are employed. Here, each bolt 306 extends through a respectiveset of holes 265 and 260 or 266 and 261 in bottom panel 79 and top panel153, and then a pin 314 is inserted thorough a selected transverse hole310 to secure the ventilation hood 70 against cabinet 25. In thealternative arrangement of FIG. 9, a toggle bolt 313, having a head 334,a threaded shaft 336 and a nut with pivoting wings 339, is employed fora corresponding purpose.

Although described with respect to preferred embodiments of theinvention, it should be readily apparent that various changes and/ormodifications can be made to the invention without departing from thespirit thereof. For instance, although the discussed embodiments referto separate first and second support brackets, as well as first andsecond fastener assemblies, it should be noted that the invention can becarried out with the first and second support brackets interconnectedinto an integral member, as well as actually employing one or morefastener assemblies. In addition, based on the above, it should bereadily apparent that the invention can employ various differentfastener assemblies in connection with an overall system and method formounting a ventilation hood to an underside of a cabinet, including abottom panel and a lower support frame, positioned above a cookingappliance. Each embodiment employs the initial mounting of brackets,either separately or an integral member, below the cabinet, against thewall and aligned with outermost edge portions of the lower supportframe, with each bracket including some type of projection for engagingand supporting a rear portion of the ventilation hood. In connectionwith this aspect of the invention, it should be realized that eachbracket could be provided with an additional flange to permit anattachment directly to the cabinet support frame, while the bracket isstill positioned against the wall. This mounting arrangement could beparticularly advantageous when the alternative is mounting the bracketonly to drywall mounting between adjacent wall studs. Furthermore, eachembodiment employs one or more fastener assemblies attaching a frontportion of the ventilation hood to the cabinet. Each of the embodimentsis designed to assure that the ventilation hood can be mounted in aneasy and efficient manner by a single person, without the need formeasuring, cutting and installing filler strips as common in the art.

We claim:
 1. A method of mounting a ventilation hood to an underside ofa structure including a lower support frame positioned above a cookingappliance comprising: securing first and second brackets below, and notdirectly attached to, the lower support frame at spaced positions;supporting a rear portion of the ventilation hood by the first andsecond brackets; tilting a front portion of the ventilation hood upwardtoward the lower support frame; and securing tabs of the ventilationhood to the underside of the structure at spaced locations forward ofthe first and second brackets.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinsecuring the tabs of the ventilation hood to the underside of thestructure includes bending the tabs.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe tabs are part of a top panel of the ventilation hood and bending thetabs includes bending the tabs from a position substantially coplanarwith a remainder of the top panel of the ventilation hood to standupright relative to the remainder of the top panel of the ventilationhood.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the structure constitutes acabinet and bending the tabs includes bending the tabs to position thetabs directly against the lower support frame of the cabinet.
 5. Themethod of claim 2, wherein securing the tabs of the ventilation hood tothe underside of the structure includes extending a mechanical fastenerthrough a hole in at least one of the tabs.
 6. The method of claim 5,wherein securing the tabs of the ventilation hood to the underside ofthe structure includes angling mechanical fasteners through enlargedopenings formed in the ventilation hood.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising: securing the ventilation hood to each of the firstand second brackets after securing the ventilation hood to the undersideof the structure at the spaced locations forward of the first and secondbrackets.
 8. A method of mounting a ventilation hood to an underside ofa structure positioned above a cooking appliance comprising: mountingfirst and second brackets against a wall underneath the structure atspaced positions, each of said first and second brackets including aprojection; engaging and supporting a rear portion of the ventilationhood on the projection of each of the first and second brackets;positioning a front portion of the ventilation hood against thestructure; and securing tabs of the front portion of the ventilationhood to the structure.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein securing thetabs of the ventilation hood to the underside of the structure includesangling mechanical fasteners through enlarged openings formed in theventilation hood.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: atleast partially forming the enlarged openings by bending the tabs froman outer housing of the ventilation hood.
 11. The method of claim 8,wherein securing the tabs of the ventilation hood to the underside ofthe structure includes extending a mechanical fastener through a hole inat least one of the tabs.
 12. A mounted ventilation hood assemblycomprising: first and second brackets mounted below, and not attachedto, a lower support frame of a structure positioned above a cookingappliance at spaced positions; a ventilation hood including a rearportion supported on the first and second brackets; and at least onefastener assembly attaching a front portion of the ventilation hood tothe structure, said at least one fastener assembly including spaced tabsextending from the ventilation hood.
 13. The system according to claim12, wherein the spaced tabs are part of a housing of the ventilationhood.
 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the spaced tabs arebent from the housing.
 15. The system according to claim 14, wherein thehousing includes enlarged openings formed, at least in part, uponbending the tabs, with the enlarged openings providing access to thetabs through the housing.
 16. The system according to claim 12, whereinthe spaced tabs stand upright relative to a top panel of the housing.17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the spaced tabs arepositioned directly against the lower support frame.
 18. The systemaccording to claim 12, wherein said at least one fastener assemblyfurther comprises threaded fasteners extending through holes formed inthe tabs.
 19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising:additional threaded fasteners extending through a housing of theventilation hood and the first and second brackets.
 20. The systemaccording to claim 12, further comprising: additional tabs attaching therear portion of the ventilation hood directly to the structure.